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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Sanitation workers attached to PHCs in T.N. demand pay rise and permanent employment
Sanitation workers, around 2,500 of them, working in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in Tamil Nadu are still earning only ₹1,500 as monthly wages. Their persistent demand to increase the monthly wages to ₹5,000 and to provide permanent employment remains unfulfilled. In a statement issued, the Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE) and the Tamil Nadu Government Primary Health Centre RCH Sanitation Workers Welfare Association, demanded immediate implementation of increased monthly honorarium. During the April 2025 Assembly session, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, announced that the monthly honorarium for Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) sanitation workers would be raised from ₹1,500 to ₹5,000. A government order for the same has not yet been issued, the associations said and demanded its immediate release and payment of ₹5,000 from April 2025. G. R. Ravindranath, general secretary of DASE, said that of the total 3,500 RCH sanitation workers, 1,000 were posted as multi-purpose hospital workers. Those who had started working about 15 years ago received a monthly pay of ₹500, which was increased to ₹1,000 and later to ₹1,500. Many RCH sanitation workers have been working for several years with only ₹1,500 as monthly wages, without being posted as multi-purpose hospital workers. They must be immediately posted as multi-purpose hospital workers. The associations demanded that sanitation workers who have crossed 60 years of age should be granted retirement benefits as announced by the Minister. If not, the pending dues should be calculated and paid as per the daily wage rates fixed by District Collectors under Government Order (D) 792 of the Public Health Department (2017). As per Government Order 604, multi-purpose hospital workers were paid only for a maximum of 27 days per month. This should be revised to provide full monthly wages and their services should be regularised. Sanitation workers must be given job security. As per the special order issued by former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on October 1, 2010, the RCH sanitation workers should be given permanent employment. They demanded paid weekly-offs and government holidays. A total of 459 RCH sanitation workers who served in COVID-19 wards during the pandemic have not yet received the promised incentive of ₹15,000 each. This also should be disbursed immediately, they demanded.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
PHC sanitary staff stage 1-day hunger strike, seek pay hike
CHENNAI: Sanitary workers employed under the Reproductive and Child Health scheme in primary health centres held a one-day hunger strike on Sunday, demanding a pay hike. Dr A R Shanthi, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Primary Health Centre Sanitary Workers Welfare Association, said around 2,800 RCH sanitary workers were hired in some were later made 'multipurpose hospital workers' with Rs 5,000 salary, 800 workers with Rs 1,500 are yet to be redesignated. The association urged the immediate execution of the announced hike of Rs 5,000. Those yet to be redesignated have served for over 15 years and should be promoted based on seniority, they said. Members of the Doctors Association for Social Equality added that 459 RCH staff deployed in covid wards have not received the promised Rs 15,000 incentive and sought its immediate outlay.
